Julie and her husband Chris bought the house just under five years ago. Julie explains, “We’d lived in this area for quite some time and were more than happy here, but we had aspirations to find a new home which would offer plenty of space, more privacy and most important to us, amazing views over the beautiful Surrey Hills. With such a specific search our choices were quite limited but when this large 1930s home came on the market we arranged a viewing and were wowed.
“The interior was extremely dated, most of it dating back to the 1970s. That wasn’t important to us though, it was the location and views that made us fall in love with the home immediately. There would be a lot of work ahead of us to make the house how we wanted it, but the stunning views and privacy were exactly what we had dreamed of.”
Originally built in 1930 the home is situated on an elevated position on the side of the Surrey Hills with views stretching as far as the south coast, and with 18-acres of land, the couple would also have the peace and privacy they wanted to find from their new home.
Inside the property still maintained its original layout with five large reception rooms on the ground floor, all very separate and disjointed, and upstairs five bedrooms and three bathrooms that were also desperately in need of updating. The couple planned to completely reconfigure and upgrade the entire home. Adding to the space was a separate and very run-down stable block.
“We knew there was an immense amount of work ahead of us but the one thing that didn’t need fixing was the location and the stunning views so that would keep us going.”
The first step in the journey was to upgrade the old stable block so the couple could move in here and be on-site to project manage the major work in the main home. “My husband and I were planning on being very hands-on with the design and build, project managing as much as possible, so rather than rent away from the house being able to move into the renovated stable would be ideal. We quickly converted it into a cosy and bright out-house.”
The renovated stable block was designed to be a more contemporary space than the main house. The couple created a modern living area and kitchen and the plot also features a master bedroom and bathroom. “We had a bit of fun with this space as it was such a blank canvas. We were keen to design the main house to suit its character features and our existing furniture and dressings, so for this new space we decided to go a lot more contemporary.
“When we visited V4 World to look for floors for the main house I spotted the Panneau wooden wall panels and loved the look of them. I had been on the search for a large piece of artwork for the stable conversion living space but on finding out more about the Panneau wooden panels and the ability to mix different finishes to create striking wall design we decided they would be perfect for the living room feature wall, and we love the result.”
With work progressing on the main house, the couple were creating three distinct zones to the ground floor including a living space where they had restored the original oak herringbone wood floors.
“We re-sanded them and added a natural oil to the surface and they came up beautifully. To open up this room we also partially took down an existing wall where an old fireplace had been. We replaced this with a large double sided fire but with this all in situe the fireplace just seemed too big and dominating so we had the brainwave to clad these walls in the Panneau Cask panels we had also seen inside V4 World to soften the wall and add some depth and texture in the room. It works perfectly and I love telling people the recycled nature of the wood, having been made from re-purposed ancient wine barrels.”
The Panneau Cask wooden wall panels are made from recycled wood originally used in old wine barrels. The easy to install interlocking panels are ideal to create eye-catching feature walls. Due to the recycled nature of the product, each panel is distinctive and original and features variations in tone and colour for a beautiful wall design.
The renovation of the main home was completed in an impressive ten months. “We moved back into the main house just a couple of weeks ago and have to say all of the hard work and careful planning of both the layout and interior design was well worth it. We’re thrilled with it.
“Our plan to have different areas which naturally connect but have their own feel and personality has worked so well and both the flooring and wall design has played a huge part in that. It’s a large house, but it now feels so well connected, welcoming and homely with a lovely flow that always has a focus on the surrounding views. The help from the V4 team every step of the way was fantastic, and they certainly introduced us to products we might not have thought of, especially the wooden wall panels, but now the home is finished they really do all combine beautifully. We couldn’t be happier.”
Read the full design story about the entire house which also features our Vittoria and Urban Nature wood floors.
